One killed in blast in Kenyan port of Mombasa

MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - A blast hit a night club in Kenya's port of Mombasa on Sunday, killing a man, police said, a day after the U.S. embassy in the East African country warned of an imminent attack on the city.

Police said the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear but Mombasa, a popular holiday destination for Kenyans and foreigners, has been struck by a series of blasts since Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October to crush Islamist militants.

"I am seeing one body. We are trying to seal off the area as we wait for officers to establish what kind of an explosion it was," said Ambrose Munyasia, the coast region's top criminal investigation officer who was at the scene, told Reuters.

Local media said three people had been killed in the blast at the night club, which is situated in a residential area.

Eight people were seriously wounded in the explosion and taken to hospital, said police.

"I have no idea what it was. I just heard several blasts ... something threw me and I fell on my back. Then I noticed I was bleeding from my neck and head," said Richard Mutiso, lying on a hospital bed receiving treatment for his wounds.

One of the wounded was a nine-year-old boy who had shrapnel lodged in his chest and thigh.

A witness, Esther Muthoni, said she heard three explosions at the club where a crowd had gathered to watch the Euro 2012 quarter-final between England and Italy.
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